Sean Connery: Roles He Missed That Other Actors Made Famous

Sean Connery, one of Hollywood’s biggest box office names, has been a bricklayer, lifeguard, coffin polisher, milkman, and nude model for art students, his TV Guide bio noted. He’s been voted “Sexiest Man of the Century” by People magazine, and he’s forever linked with “007.”

Connery is an Academy Award-winning Scottish actor known as both a spy in his James Bond films and as Indiana Jones’s father in the adventure series. But Connery didn’t take every role that came along. He could have been King of the Moon. Or a wizard.

“The Adventures of Baron Munchausen”
Connery was signed for the part of King of the Moon in this 1988 British adventure fantasy film. But when budget troubles forced director Terry Gilliam to cut big portions of the moon sequence, Connery left the project, and Robin Williams got the part instead, according to Dreams: The Terry Gilliam Fanzine.

Gandalf in “The Lord of the Rings” Trilogy
His most expensive pass was likely turning down the role of Gandalf in “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy. “When ‘Lord of the Rings’ was in development, the studio was seeking a big-name star to offset the gigantic risk of filming three very expensive films back-to-back, with no guarantee of their box office success,” Movie Fanatic reported. “Connery was offered $6 million per picture. But what we didn't know is that he was offered 15 percent of the box office as well, a deal that would have earned him $450 million.”

Sir Ian McKellen stepped in and made the role iconic, working his wizardly magic. "I read the book,” Movie Fanatic quoted Connery as saying about “Lord of the Rings.” “I read the script. I saw the movie. I still don’t understand it. Ian McKellen, I believe, is marvelous in it."

Nigel Powers in “Goldmember”
Another could-have-been is imagining Connery as satirical spy Austin Powers’ dad in the 2002 parody “Goldmember,” The Bowman Blog noted. The film was a loose parody of the James Bond films “Goldfinger” and “You Only Live Twice.” But Connery didn’t do it. Michael Caine played the role instead.

He may have passed up iconic roles, but Connery stuck with what he knew. “Everything I’ve done has had to be accomplished in my own cycle, my own time, on my own behalf, and with my own sweat,” the Biography Channel quoted him as saying. “But if people hadn't liked what I was doing, I’d probably be delivering milk today, and I never forget that.”

Sean Connery, one of Hollywood’s biggest box office names, has been a bricklayer, lifeguard, coffin polisher, milkman, and nude model for art students, his TV Guide bio noted. But Connery didn’t take every role that came along.

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